Frederick Augustus, duke of York and Albany

Frederick Augustus, duke of York and Albany, (born Aug. 16, 1763, London—died Jan. 5, 1827, London), second son of King George III of Great Britain, younger brother of George IV, and British field commander in two unsuccessful campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars.

In conjunction with an Austrian force, Frederick’s army scored victories over the French in Flanders early in 1793, but he was defeated at Hondschoote, near Dunkirk (September 1793), and at Tournai (May 1794) and was then driven in retreat through Belgium. Nonetheless, he was made a field marshal in 1795 and commander in chief three years later. In 1799 he led an Anglo-Russian invasion of French-occupied Holland; after defeats at Bergen (September 19) and Castricum (October 6), he was forced to sign the Convention of Alkmaar (October 18) and evacuate his forces.

In 1809 Frederick had to resign as commander in chief because his mistress, Mary Anne Clarke, had taken money from officers in return for her promise that the Duke would promote them. He himself was acquitted of wrongdoing by the House of Commons and was restored to office in 1811. He founded the Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, London, and in his later years was a leading opponent of political emancipation of British Roman Catholics.

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